Stephanie Otis
EDC 102H – Context Report
Community Description: Pawtucket, RI – Socioeconomic Status
Population:
In Pawtucket, 25.9% of the population (5+) has disabilities. (ProvPlan, n.d.) This is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s disabled population of 20.2%. (ProvPlan, n.d.) Similarly, the population in Pawtucket that speaks Spanish inside the home is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s (15.1% and 10.3%, respectively). However, the population in Pawtucket that speaks English not well or not at all (8.7)% is almost double that of Rhode Island’s (4.8%), which is very significant. Also, in Pawtucket, the population that speaks only English in the home is 61.9%. This is significantly lower than the English speaking population of Rhode Island (79.2%).(ProvPlan, n.d.) (ProvPlan, n.d.)
Poverty:
Between 2007 and 2011, almost two-thirds (65%) of Rhode Island's children living in poverty lived in just four cities. These cities, termed core cities, include Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, all communities where more than one in four (25%) children live below the poverty threshold. In Pawtucket, 29.4% live in poverty, which is significantly higher than the poverty percentage of Rhode Island (17.9%). Fortunately, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty in Pawtucket is only slightly higher than that of Rhode Island (11.5% and 8.1%, respectively). However, the percentage of children under 6 that are living in poverty in Pawtucket (33.2%) is significantly higher than that of Rhode Island (20.6%). In 2012, the percentage of children in families receiving cash assistance was about the same as the state percentage (5% and 6%, respectively). There was a higher percentage of those who are eligible enrolled in WIC in Pawtucket than in Rhode Island (73% and 69%, respectively). However, there was a lower percentage of low-income children participating in school breakfast in Pawtucket (24%) than in Rhode Island (35%). In Pawtucket, 4% of infants are born at the highest risk. This runs true to the 3% of the highest risk infants born in Rhode Island. In Pawtucket, the median family income ($38,471) is almost half that of the median family income of Rhode Island ($68,507). In fact, Pawtucket has the third lowest median family income in the state of Rhode Island. (RI Kids Count, n.d.)
Living Situation: 43% of children in Pawtucket are living in single-family homes, which is significantly higher than the 35% of Rhode Island. Similarly to the state (6%), 7% of children in Pawtucket are living with grandparents. The cost of rent in Pawtucket ($1,026) is about the same as that of Rhode Island ($1,176). (RI Kids Count, n.d.) In the 2011-2012 school year, 32 out of the 8,769 children enrolled in public schools were homeless. In 2010, out of the 16,575 children who were under 8 years old in Pawtucket, 70 of them were sheltered homeless, meaning they lived in homeless or domestic violence shelters. Of the 961 homeless children in the state of Rhode Island in the 2011-2012 school year, one third of them (315 children) were in the four core cities. Of the 1,277 sheltered homeless children in 2010, more than half (727 children) were in the four core cities. These two statistics give us a better idea of the type of challenges a city like Pawtucket faces. (RI Kids Count, n.d.)
EDC 102H – Context Report
Community Description: Pawtucket, RI – Socioeconomic Status
Population:
In Pawtucket, 25.9% of the population (5+) has disabilities. (ProvPlan, n.d.) This is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s disabled population of 20.2%. (ProvPlan, n.d.) Similarly, the population in Pawtucket that speaks Spanish inside the home is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s (15.1% and 10.3%, respectively). However, the population in Pawtucket that speaks English not well or not at all (8.7)% is almost double that of Rhode Island’s (4.8%), which is very significant. Also, in Pawtucket, the population that speaks only English in the home is 61.9%. This is significantly lower than the English speaking population of Rhode Island (79.2%).(ProvPlan, n.d.) (ProvPlan, n.d.)
Poverty:
Between 2007 and 2011, almost two-thirds (65%) of Rhode Island's children living in poverty lived in just four cities. These cities, termed core cities, include Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, all communities where more than one in four (25%) children live below the poverty threshold. In Pawtucket, 29.4% live in poverty, which is significantly higher than the poverty percentage of Rhode Island (17.9%). Fortunately, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty in Pawtucket is only slightly higher than that of Rhode Island (11.5% and 8.1%, respectively). However, the percentage of children under 6 that are living in poverty in Pawtucket (33.2%) is significantly higher than that of Rhode Island (20.6%). In 2012, the percentage of children in families receiving cash assistance was about the same as the state percentage (5% and 6%, respectively). There was a higher percentage of those who are eligible enrolled in WIC in Pawtucket than in Rhode Island (73% and 69%, respectively). However, there was a lower percentage of low-income children participating in school breakfast in Pawtucket (24%) than in Rhode Island (35%). In Pawtucket, 4% of infants are born at the highest risk. This runs true to the 3% of the highest risk infants born in Rhode Island. In Pawtucket, the median family income ($38,471) is almost half that of the median family income of Rhode Island ($68,507). In fact, Pawtucket has the third lowest median family income in the state of Rhode Island. (RI Kids Count, n.d.)
Living Situation:
43% of children in Pawtucket are living in single-family homes, which is significantly higher than the 35% of Rhode Island. Similarly to the state (6%), 7% of children in Pawtucket are living with grandparents. The cost of rent in Pawtucket ($1,026) is about the same as that of Rhode Island ($1,176). (RI Kids Count, n.d.) In the 2011-2012 school year, 32 out of the 8,769 children enrolled in public schools were homeless. In 2010, out of the 16,575 children who were under 8 years old in Pawtucket, 70 of them were sheltered homeless, meaning they lived in homeless or domestic violence shelters. Of the 961 homeless children in the state of Rhode Island in the 2011-2012 school year, one third of them (315 children) were in the four core cities. Of the 1,277 sheltered homeless children in 2010, more than half (727 children) were in the four core cities. These two statistics give us a better idea of the type of challenges a city like Pawtucket faces. (RI Kids Count, n.d.)
References:
ProvPlan. (n.d.-a). Pawtucket Profile: Disabilities. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/municipality/pawtucket/disabilities/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-b). Pawtucket Profile: Language. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/municipality/pawtucket/language/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-c). Rhode Island Profile: Disabilities. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/disabilities/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-d). Rhode Island Profile: Language. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/language/
RI Kids Count. (n.d.-a). Pawtucket Profile: Economic Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Economic%202013%20Factbook%20NEW.pdf
RI Kids Count. (n.d.-b). Pawtucket Profile: Indicators of Child Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Pawtucket_2013.pdf